High numbers for Spring Classic

Hundreds turn out in chilly Norway for 33rd annual running event

April 22, 2013

NORWAY - Numbers were high for the 33rd Annual Norway Spring Classic here Saturday -just not on the thermometer.

Runners at starting line were treated to bright sunshine, but temperatures in the mid 20s.

Still, the 10K, 5K, 2-mile run/walk and eight-mile bike ride, again drew more than 400 participants.

Article Photos

Burt Angeli/The Daily News PhotoDan Delong, second from left, and Amy (Janeshek) Hauswirth (pink top) lead the field at the start of the 10K race Saturday. Delong was the overall winner, while Hauswirth was first among women.

Mandy Haferkorn

In the featured 10K event, returning female champion Amy (Janeshek) Hauswirth successfully defended her title with a time of 41:30, good for fourth overall. A regular Classic participant for many years, Hauswirth claimed her fourth title in the past five years - the only exception coming in 2011 when she opted for the Boston Marathon instead.

"It was just a preference not to run Boston this year," Hauswirth said. "I will go do that every couple years or so."

She said she was thankful she decided not to run it this year.

Hauswirth, a 1987 Kingsford High School graduate who resides in Hancock, is training for the Green Bay marathon. With winter refusing to release its grip on the U.P., the elite runner has been limited to treadmill training so far this year.

"It's been terrible," she said, noting that she is only about three quarters of where she'd like to be training wise. "I've been on a treadmill quite a bit, which I never usually do."

Still, Hauswirth was pleased with her run Saturday at the Classic.

"I am glad I didn't wear an extra jacket like I thought," she said. "It was actually pretty pleasant. I usually use this event as just kind of a training run, trying to push myself a little bit. It's a tough course, so I don't really think a whole lot about time, just push myself as much as I can."

Dan Delong of Norway, running in the 40-49 year old division, took the top spot in the 10K. A track coach at Escanaba, Delong finished in 38:51.

"It was pretty good," he said. "I felt good. You had the wind at your back for the first few miles. Mile four was rough. I felt like the pack might be coming on me, but I was able to just get up that last hill and just hold on from there."

DeLong finished better than two minutes ahead of second place runner Joseph Wolfe of Escanaba.

Like Hauswirth, the treadmill has been part of DeLong's training regimen this spring.

"It's king of like half and half for me," he said. "I do my speed work on the treadmill, but try to take my longer runs outside. Winter was a little rough. Coaching the track kids, that tends to keep me in shape too."

Mandy Haferkorn, a student at Iron Mountain, was first in the 5K with a time of 16:12. Mark Jasper of Menominee, last year's defending 5K champ, was first for the men and fifth overall at 18:30.